Strategy: The Secret World of Compliance Auditors

Fahmida Y. Rashid06/02/12

Strategy: The Secret World of Compliance Auditors

Compliance with various industry and other regulations is difficult to achieve and even harder to maintain. Many organizations find that their thin resources get stretched even thinner as they work to adhere to rules that may or may not make them more secure in the end, and few IT experiences are more fraught with angst than the compliance audit. Arguments about the value of regulatory compliance aside, not coming into compliance with mandatory rules can mean missing out on lucrative contracts and/or being hit with steep fines.

It’s a challenge, to be sure, but many organizations are not leveraging a valuable resource in the quest for compliance: the auditor. Smart organizations see compliance auditors not as the enemy but as a knowledgeable resource. To work effectively with auditors, it’s important to know who they are, what they need to know and what they are looking for. In this report we will examine the role of compliance auditors and recommend how to work ­together to achieve a successful audit. (S5270612)

3 Author’s Bio5 Executive Summary5 The Secret World of Compliance Auditors5 Figure 1: The Life Cycle of an Audit6 Who Are the Compliance Auditors?6 Figure 2: Auditor Credentials7 What To Look for in a Compliance Auditor8 Figure 3: Skills an Auditor Should Have9 Preparing for a Compliance Audit9 Figure 4: Do’s and Don’ts for Keeping an Assessor Happy10 How to Make Your Auditor Happy11 Staying Compliant12 Related Reports